Election System Basics: Israel elects all 120 seats to
its parliament, the Knesset, using a national “closed list” system.
Voters across the nation vote for one political party’s full candidate
slate, rather than for individual candidates, and seats are awarded
proportionally to all parties receiving a threshold amount of at least
2% of the vote. For example, a party receiving 10% of the vote receives
roughly 10% of seats in the Knesset, and those seats are awarded in
order to the first 10% of candidates on a party’s list. This minimum
threshold of 2% has gradually been increased in recent elections; in
the previous election in 2003, the threshold was just 1.5%.

Common Misconceptions about Israel's Election System: Israel,
along with Italy, is frequently criticized for having an election
system that produces unstable and short-lived governing coalitions.
Some critics mistakenly blame proportional voting for this instability.
However, many forms of proportional voting systems exist, often
producing stable governments in many countries around the world. It is
Israel’s particular version of proportional voting, combined with
Israel's unique political climate and very diverse electorate, which
contributes to the relatively unstable governing coalitions.

One important difference between Israel's proportional system and those
used in other countries is the low threshold needed to win seats. Many
countries set thresholds of five percent or more, with higher
thresholds reducing the number of minor parties that are able to win
seats. Israel's low threshold results in a large number of parties in
the Knesset and makes it unlikely that one of the major parties will be
able to form a governing coalition without including multiple small
parties.

The national closed list system also plays a major role in shaping
Israel's governments. Unlike an open list system under which voters can
influence the direction of a party by determining the order of
candidates on that party's slate, a closed list system gives voters
little ability to influence party positions on issues. Not having
regional lists, where candidates are elected proportionally within
regional districts, also puts more distance between representatives and
voters. Therefore, voters unhappy with a major party's policy
directions may be likely to shift support to any of a number of minor
parties. Election Results in March 2006:

Party

Seats

Kadima

29

Labour

20

Shas

12

Likud

12

Israel Beitenu

11

NU/NRP

9

Gil(Pensioners)

7

Torah Judaism

6

Meretz

5

United Arab List

3

Hadash

3

Balad

3

With 29 seats, the newly formed Kadima party will be asked to form a
government by building a coalition representing at least 61 seats.
Labour is a likely partner, bringing the total to 49. Shas is a
possibility, which would just reach the minimum at 61; even with Shas,
however, Kadima will probably look for more partners to ensure a safer
majority. Likud, the largest party in the last election, is not a
likely partner; therefore, the final government coalition will almost
certainly include at least four parties. The large number of parties
needed to form a government is a direct result of the low threshold and
can contribute to instability in the Israeli system.

As discussed above, many countries address this issue by using higher
thresholds. A five percent threshold still allows seat allocation to be
roughly proportional while at the same time discouraging formation of
smaller single-issue parties that can dissolve governing coalitions
despite holding only a few seats and representing a small fraction of
voters. Under a 5% threshold, the number of parties entering the
Knesset would be reduced to 7 instead of the actual 12. Kadima would
win 34 seats, or 28% of seats, with its 22% of the total votes. More
importantly, Kadima and Labour would combine to hold 57 seats, meaning
a government could be formed with just one additional party.

While adding stability, this higher threshold would not necessarily
remove minor party voices from the government. Instead, smaller parties
would be encouraged to work together to gain seats. For example, United
Arab List, Hadash and Balad, which win seats under a 2% threshold but
not under a 5% threshold, might choose to run on an Arab party list
instead of on three separate lists.

We are not necessarily advocating that Israel raise its threshold to
5%. That decision must be the result of a balancing of the goals of an
electoral system, as another goal that is particularly important in a
nation like Israel where so many citizens come from different nations
and different backgrounds is to provide full representation of voters.
If significant interests and views were not represented in Israel, it
would produce a different instability that might be even more dangerous
for the nation’s long-term health.[Complete Results and Threshold Analysis]Facts in Focus

Turnout: 62.3% of eligible voters cast ballots, a record low for
Knesset elections. This may be in part due to expectations about
Kadima’s victory and Likud's poor showing, removing much of the
Labor-Likud rivalry that has dominated previous elections. Representation of Women: 17 women were elected to the 17th
Knesset, one less than in the previous election, which is comparable to
representation of women in the U.S. Congress. This low percentage of
women is unusual among countries using proportional voting systems. The
closed list system may contribute to the lack of women being elected;
even if female voters wish to elect women, they are limited in their
ability to do by where parties place female candidates in their lists.
Many other countries using closed list systems, including several in
Latin America, compensate for this by requiring parties to nominate a
certain percentage of female candidates throughout their lists.Prisoner Voting: Prisoners meeting age and citizenship
requirements are allowed to vote. According to the Jerusalem Post, 53%
of eligible prisoners voted on Election Day.

Election Day Holiday: Although voting took place on a Tuesday,
Election Day is a public holiday in Israel. Beyond this, Israel
encourages participation in its elections by offering public
transportation vouchers for qualifying individuals to travel to polling
locations on Election Day.[More on Israeli Elections]

In Detroit, there have been three mayors in the past two years and the current one has come under scrutiny. Perhaps a system like instant runoff voting will help bring political stability to motor city.